Coating articles with an impermeable cloth, felt, or the like



J. F. STRABLE Jun 1 2, 1945.

COATING ARTICLESWITH AN IMPERMEABLE CLOTH, FELT, OR LIKE Filed Dec. 20,194]. 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l hhmmul f ul mh Sosph Francis 'h' INVE NTO r2FE T/EL No N. xx Q .1... Q V NW N 7 w. w. 0 an QQ Q Q S ws k W 8x 3 3 75 Q5 Jllhe 12, 1945. STRABLE 7 2,377,979

COATING ARTICLES WITH AN IMPERMEABLE CLOTH, FELT, OR THE LIKE Filed Dec.20, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lbse h Fromcjs Sh abh.

, \NVENTOFQ Jun 12, 1945. .1. F. STRABLE .COATING ARTICLES WITH ANIMPERMEABLE CLOTH, FELT, OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 20', 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet3 Sbse h frarm us Shame INVE'N'T 4 June I-Z, 1945. STRABL'E 2,377,979

' FELT, OR THE LIKE COATING ARTICLES WITH AN IMPERMEABLE CLOTH 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec Tose h Frmncjs 8+ rub- INVENTOE/ Patented June12,1945- con'rme narrows wrrn AN rumm- ABLE crown, FELT, on m mm JosephFrancis Strable, Strood, England, minor to Gyproc Products Limited,London, England, a company of Great Britain Application December 20,1941, Serial No. 423,762 I .In Great Britain April 18, 1941 13 Claims.

This invention relates to the coating of the surfaces of articles,which-are pervious to moisture or liable to deterioration when exposedto moisture, with an impermeable covering of felt, cloth, or otherflexible sheet material impregnated with or consisting of a substancewhich becomes tacky when heated, for the purpose of rendering thearticles unaffected by moisture. The invention is especially but notexclusively concerned with the application of bitumen felt'to thesurfaces of panels or boards such for example as plaster boards.

Bitumen felt is commonly bonded to surfaces by the agency of hot or coldadhesives such as glues, resins or pitch. Since the object of coatinsarticles with bitumen felt is to render them resistant to the effects ofwater, waterproof adhesives have been used. Since, however, bitumen feltand like sheet coating materials already incorporate an adhesivesubstance which is inherently waterproof, the use of an additional waterproof adhesive for the purpose of bonding the sheet material tothesurface to be coated involves waste, and it is an object of thisinvention to avoid such waste by dispensing with any additional adhesive.

In the manufacture of bitumen felt it is usual to roll the felt when itis still warm, and, although while being so rolled it is sprayed withpowdery substances to free it from tackiness, it neverthe 75 feet, and.it is seldom that the length of felt in a roll is an integral multipleof the length of each of a succession of similar boards required to becoated with the felt. Consequently either an end portion of each rollmust be cut to waste, or a joint must be made in the felt; andaccordingly it has not hitherto been possible to coat a series of boardswith bitumen felt without relatively frequent interruptions to thesequence of operations when a fresh roll of felt is brought into use.Another object of the present invention is to enable a series of boardsto be coated fixed to struts 21 and 28 supported on the bars withflexible sheet material such a. bitumen felt tion will be apparent fromthe following description of an embodiment thereof adapted to secure acontinuous length of bitumen felt to a succession of boards, thisdescription being given with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Fig. 1 is a. longitudinal section of apparatus in accordance withthe invention, taken on the line l-i of that part of the apparatusappearing in Fig. 4, 7

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively sections on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 in Fig.1,

Fig. 4 is a plan, with certain elements in section, of a part of theapparatus shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a side'elevation; with certain elemen in section, of the partshown in Fig. 4,

consisting of a series of rollers l4 and MA at the entry portion of thepath and I5 at the discharge portion of the path. The rollers 14 and MAare journalled in two horizontal angle bars l6 and i1 fixed respectivelyto brackets l8 and i9 mounted on the sub-frames l2 and I3. The rollersi5 are'journalled in two horizontal angle bars 26 and 2-,! fixed to thesub-frames l2 and E3,

to a transverse angle bar 22, and to transverse angle bars 26 flxedtothe posts ii.

The posts i i support an upper feed path for bitumen felt, which pathincludes two longitudinal angle bars 23 and 2i which are carried ontransverse angle bars 25 fixed to the posts ll. Near the subframes l2and "the bars 23 and 24 of the" upper path are inclined downwards, andtheir ends are 20 and 2|. The middle portion of the upper path isfloored with transverse timber boards'29 (Figs. 1 and 3) fixed to timberrunners. 30 and 3| in turn fixed to the bars 23 and. A timber beam 32having a sloping upper face'forms the end of this floor remote from thesub-frames.

sub-frames are mounted on the bars 29 and 24 respectively two halfbearings 91 and 38 (Fig. 2)

carrying a shaft 39 for supporting a roll 40 of bitumenefelt. Two tamredplugs 4| are slidable on the shaft 39 and-are provided with set screws42 whereby they may be locked to the shaft after they have been forcedinto the ends of the core of the felt roll. The shaft 39 is capable ofsliding in the bearings 81 and 38 for the purpose of adjusting theposition of the roll 40 transversely, and it is provided with collars 49fitted with set screws 44 and adapted toabut against the bearings, sothat the roll can be maintained in the desired position of transverseadjustment.

Adjacent to the felt roll is a transverse tensioning member 45 (Fig. 1)which may be a bar fixed to or a roller rotatably mounted on thelongitudinal bars 29 and 24.

The sub-frames I2 and I9 support the pressure roll mechanism, whichincludes two hollow metal rolls 46 and 41 disposed one above the other.The lower roll 41 is joumalled in bearings 48 and 49 fixed to thesub-frames I2 and I2 respectively, while the upper roll 46 is.journa1ledin bearings 50 and which are capable of adjustment vertically so as tovary the depth of the gap between a the rolls. The means for effectingthis adjustment are identical at the two sides of the machine, and theywill be described with reference to bearing 50 and Fig. 5. The bearing50 is integral with a cylindrical sleeve 52 s lidable on a vertical tube53 fixed to the sub-frame l2. A'nut 54 is fixed to the sleeve 52 by aradial projection 56 fitting within a vertical slot 56 in the tube 58.The nut 54 co-operates with a lead screw 51 journalled in a bearing 58retained within the upper end of the tube 53 by a cap 59 which is splitat 6i and clamped by a stud 60. A worm wheel 62 keyed to the lead screw51 meshes with a worm 63 keyed to a transverse shaft 64. The shaft 64 isprovided with a handle 65and is common to the rolladjusting means at thetwo sides of the machine, so that the roll 46 is constrained'to remainparallel to the roll 41 at all times.

The upper roll 46 is arranged to be artificiallv cooled by water whichis admitted at a gland union 68 to a bore 61 (Fig. 4) in the shaft 68ofthe roll 46 and thence through a port 69 to the interior of the roll.A similar arrangement exhausts heated water at a gland union at theother side of the apparatus. A

A steel scraper blade II (Figs. 5 and 8) is bolted to an angle bar I2.Pivot pins I9 welded to the ends of the bar I2 are journalled inextensions 14 jockey sprocket 88. The sprocket 81 is fast on a.

countershaft 89 forming the output shaft of a worm reduction gearing 90,the input shaft 9I of which is connected, through a change-speed gear 92of continuously variable ratio having a driving shaft 93 to a motor (notshown).

If desired, the roller MA on the lower path may be power driven from thecounter shaft 89 by a sprocket 94 fixed to this shaft, a chain 95, and asprocket 96 rigid with a sleeve 9'! rotatable on the shaft 98 of theroller MA. The sleeve 9'! is connected to the shaft 98 by a roller freewheel clutch 99 capable of rotating the roller I4A clockwise as viewedin Figs. 1 and 5. Additional rollers similar to roller MA and disposedalong the length of the path may be driven through similar free wheelclutches. The drive to the next roller is taken by a chain I00 engagingwith a sprocket fast on the sleeveSI. The peripheral speed of 'theroller I4A slightly exceeds the peripheral speeds of the rolls 46 and 41which rotate at the same speed.

At the end of th upper feed path adjacent to the pressure rolls isdisposed a device for stretchmounted in a. swivelling frame which inormally and I5 of the bearings 50 and iii. 'A weighted lever 16 urgesthe edge of the blade II resiliently against the surface of the roll 46,The scraper also carries a wiper strip 11 of felt having a free edgeresting againstwthe roll 46 above the blade 'II. The roll in rotatingfrictionally-engages this edge of the wiper strip which is thereby keptin trough section. A} perforated pipe 18 disposed above this trough isarranged to deliver a row of water jets into the trough whereby the feltis kept moist and the roll 46 is externally cooled. A valve I9 controlsthe flow of water to the pipe I8. A similar scraper 80, journaled inextensions of the bearings 48 and 49, is resiliently engaged by meansrigidly fixed on the angle bars 23 and 24. The swivelling frame consistsof sideangle bar's-IOI and I02 (Figs. 4 and 5) rigidly braced bytransverse rods I 03 and I04. Rollers I05 and I06 are joumalled on thetwo rods I04. The roller I06 is provided with a flange I01, the innerface I08 of which is accurately aligned with the inner face I09 of afence IIO fixed to the angle bar I 'I of the entry portion of the lowerfeed path. The roller I06 is furthermore provided with an adjustablecollar III adapted to be locked by a set screw II2. A bar H3, disposedparallel to and between the rollers I05 and I06, is fixed to lugs II 4projecting from two levers I I5 pivoted at II6 on the side bars IM andI02. Each lever II5 carries a lateral blade II! which co-operates with aserrated quadrant arm II8 fixed to the adjacent side bar. By adjustingthe levers H5 along the quadrants II8, the bar II3 of the stretchingdevice can be raised and lowered. The stretching device is capable of aswivelling motion about a. pivot pin II9 by which the sid bar I02 issecured to the bar 24 of the upper feed path. This swivelling motion islimited by pins I20 mounted in the bar 23 of the upper path and passingthrough slots I2I in the side bar IOI. swivelling is controlled by alever I22 which is pivoted at I23 to a bracket I24 fixed to the bar 28.A pin I25 couples the lever I22.to a bracket I26 fixed to the sidebarIN. The lever I22 can be locked, in the neutral position shown, by asmall pin I21 accurately fitted in registering holes in this lever andin the bracket I26, in order to lock the stretching device in a positionsuch that the rollers I 05 and I06 are exactly parallel with thepressure rolls.

A gas burner is constituted by a tube I28disposed parallel to thepressure rolls, close to the upper 01 these rolls, and close to thehorizontal .plane defined by the tops of the rollers of the brackets I8and I9 by screws I30 engaged in the brackets and passing through slotsI3I in the bearers, this arrangement permitting the burner tube to beadjusted to various positions longitudinally of the machine. The burnertube is furthermore capable of angular adjustment about hearingsin thebearers, under the control of a lever I32, between a position in whichthe flames are directed substantially horizontally towards the roll l6and a position in which the flames are directed upwardly clear of thisroll. The burner tube is supplied with combustible mixture. through aswivelling union I33 and a hose I34 leading to an injector I35 (Fig. 1)supplied with coal gas at I35 and compressed air at I31,

The operation of this apparatus will now be described. Figs. 1, 2, 3,and 6' show the machine with plaster boards and bitumen felt inpositions which they occupy when the machine is running, whereas in Fig.4 the boards and felt are not shown.

In setting up th machine for operation, the

collar III on the roller I06 of the stretching device is spaced from theflange IIJI on this roller bya, distance exactly equal to the width ofthe bitumenfeltr The fences 33 and 34 on the upper feed path aresubstantially aligned with the inner faces of the collar III and theflange I01, but spaced slightly farther apart so as to provide a smallclearance, of the order of "1 5 inch, at each side between the fencesand the bitumen felt when the latter is running true. A roll of felt ismounted on the shaft 39,-aligned with the fences,

and secured laterally by locking th collars 43;

The handle 65 is operated to set the gap between the pressure rolls 46and 41 to more than the combined thickness of a plaster board and thebitumen felt. A plaster board is placed on the entry portion of thelo'wer'path, pushed laterally against the fence H D, andthen slidlongitudinally until its leading end border is between the pressurerolls. The end of the felt strip is unwound from the roll 40, passedunder the tension bar 45, between the fences 33 and 34 on the upper feedpath, over the rollers I05 .and Iilli and under the bar iii of thestretching device and round one half-of the circumference of thepressure roll Mi, its leading edge being placed over the leading edge ofthe plaster board. The handle 85 is now operated to lower the roll 46until the felt and the board are nipped between the pressure rolls. Thecooling water feeds having been turned on, the gas burner is ignited andthe handle I32 is operated to direct the flame towards the felt. Theburner perforations are now spaced about 2 /g-3 inches from the surfaceof the felt on the roll 46, the compositionand pressure of thecombustible mixture being such as to produce a short, hotoxidizing'flame, the tip of which just reaches the felt, this flamemerging into a milder reducing flame which plays upwards for about 6inches over the felt on the roller. After a short time the bitumen inthat part of the, felt opposite to the burner will have attained thedesired degree offluidity and tackiness, whereupon the driving motor isstarted and the pressure rolls are continuously rotated in such adirection that the felt and board are fed between them towards thedischarge end of the lower path. Additional plaster boards are fed intothe apparatus by being placed successively on the lower path at theentry end thereof, pushed laterally against the fence III! andthereafter longitudinally towards the pressure rolls, which is possibleowing to the overrimning action of the free wheel clutches in the drivesto the individual rollers. MA, toform acontinuous series of boardstouching end to end. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 the plaster boards aredenoted by B and the bitumen felt strip-by S.

-The operator at the discharge end of the lower feed path severs thefelt along the junctions between plaster boards by means of a hot knife,so that the coated boards can be handled individually. The leading boardof the series will have a length of a few inches of felt not adhering tothe board. This length is caused to adhere by passing a hot iron or atorch flame between the loose flap of felt and the board and thereafterpressing this portion of'felt onto the board.

' The machine runs satisfactorily at a linear speed of about 10 feet perminute with a bitumen felt of usual quality. As the felt strip S isdrawn off the roll 40 by the action of the pressure rollers, it unwindswith a resistanceiwhich is irregularly distributed over its width, andthe felt strip in consequence tends to deviate from the desiredalignment. However, passage of the felt under the tensioning bar imposesan additional and substantially uniform resistance which tensions thefelt. during its passage over the upper feed path; sufliciently to limitits meanderings to withing the limit permitted by the fences 33 and it.The axis of the roll BI] is spaced at a distance equal to at least threeand preferably four times the width of the felt from the roller tilt ofthe stretching device, and this length is sufficient to allow theirregularities in the tension, due to local sticking of the felt duringun-Winding, to cancel one another out sufficiently to enable the feltweb to run truly onto the first roller tilt of the stretching device,which sets the web in accurate alignment with the plaster boards. Theadditional tension imposed by the stretching device normally ensuresthat the' felt web maintains its true course till round the roll lli.Furthermore the stretching device imposes such an additional resistanceto movement of the felt that the felt is stretched sufliciently'to avoidrisk of subsequent corrugation.

As the felt passes onto and is bent round the surface of the upper rollit and approaches the gap between the rolls, the reducing portion of the'flame effects a preliminary softening of the bitumen on the exposedface of the felt, which is finally brought by the hot oxidizing portionof the flame to the state of fluidity necessary for proper adhesion tobe secured between the felt and the boards as they pass together betweenthe rolls. The upper surface of the boards in passing beneath the flameis preheated sufiiciently to prevent premature hardening of the tackysurface of the bitumen when it meets the boards and in this way thestrength of the bond is increased. Meanwhile the other face of the feltin the heating zone is kept relatively cool by reason of its intimatecontact with the roll it which is artificially cooled by both the waterpassing through its interior and the moisture applied to its exterior bythe felt wiper strip Ii.

As the tacky surface of the bitumen felt is firmly pressed and bonded tothe boards by thepressure .rolls, it may happen from time to time that alittle fluid bitumen exudes at the side edges of the have to be broughtinto use at intervals of about 7 minutes; and an important property ofthe present apparatus is that it can be operated withtransversedirection, can be swivelled about the pin 9, by unlocking andmanipulating the lever out interruption due to the exhaustion of a rollof felt. Before a felt roll is used up. a fresh roll, mounted on a spareshaft 39, with the wedging and locating collars 4i and it properlyadjusted, is placed on the frame bars 23 and 24 adjacent to the roll inuse. As soon as the latter roll is used up, its shaft is lifted out ofthe bearings 31 and 38, the spare shaft carrying the fresh roll issubstituted, and the leading end of the new length of felt is passedunder the tension bar 45. The trailing part of the old length of felt,after disengagement from the shaft 39, in being deflected past theelements I05, I08 and H3 of the stretching device, is still stretchedand maintained in sufllcient tension as it passes from the stretchingdevice to the roll 46. In splicing the leading end of the fresh roll tothe trailin end of the preceding roll, it is important to provide anoverlapping joint of such a width as to ensure not only a strong anddurable bond capable of withstanding, during its passage through theapparatus, the tension and stretching hereinbefore de scribed, but alsoperfectly formed watertight joints on both sides of the felt web.Experience has shown that to accomplish this the overlap should bepreferably between 6 and 12 inches.

The splicing is performed as follows. The leading end of the freshlength of felt is drawn over the trailing end of the preceding length bya distance equal to the required overlap and held in contact therewithWhile these ends are travelling along the floor 29 of the upper feedpath. A hot iron or a torch flame is passed across the width of the feltweb between the leading border portion of the fresh length and theunderlying part of the preceding length so as to render the bitumentacky. The tacky surfaces, which may extend through the leading half ofthe length of the overlap, are immediately thereafter pressed togetheron to the floor 29 so that the two lengths of felt are firmly bondedtogether, the last few inches of the preceding length forming a trailingflap on what is at present the under side of the felt web. As the splicepasses adjacent to the burner, the whole of the exposed surface of theweb is heated by the flame to a condition in which the bitumen thereonis tacky, and, as the splice passes between the pressure rolls, thehandle 85 is manipulated so as to increase the gap between these rollsonly for so long as is necessary to allow the splice to pass and to suchan extent as to maintain the bonding pressure as uniform as possible.When the splice is passing along the lower feed path, a hot iron or atorch flame is passed between the trailing flap constituted by the endof the preceding length of felt, which end is now uppermost, and theunderlying felt of the fresh length that is bonded to the plasterboards, in order to render the bitumen tacky, and this trailin flap isthen pressed'onto the underlying felt so as to complete the bonding ofthe joint.

The stretching device, throughwhich the felt passes immediately beforereaching the pressure rolls and which includes the roller I06 that isarranged to locate the felt web accurately in a I 22, in order toocrrect any errors that may begin to occur in the alignment of the feltweb with the plaster boards. Such errors are most likely to arise as aconsequence of splicing a fresh length of felt, because it is verydifficult to ensure that the two lengths are joined at an angle ofexactly deg. If there is a slight deviation of the felt web at thesplice, there will be a tendency for the web to run towards one side orthe other of the machine as it passes round the upper pressure roll sothat one longitudinal edge of the felt will overlap the correspondingedge of the series of plaster board while the other edge of the felt isspaced inwards from the corresponding edge of the boards. Such tendencyfor the felt web to run to one or the other side of its true alignmentcan be corrected, before it has objectionable consequences, by unlockingthe swivelling lever I22, moving it in the appropriate sense from itsneutral position, and returning it to the neutral position as soon asthe felt web is running true again. 1

It has been found that, even in a single roll of bitumen felt, thereadiness with which the bitumen will liquefy under the flame variesalong the length of the web, owing principally to lack of uniformity inthe bitumen content of the felt and in the coating of powder appliedthereto to reduce sticking in' the roll. An experienced operator cancompensate for such variation by slight adjustment of the burner tubecontrol handle I32 so as to cause the flame to strike the felt at alevel varying according to his judgment.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying to the surface of a series of substantiallyflat articles a continuous web of flexible sheet material comprising asubstance which becomes tacky when heated, said apparatus including alower feed path for guiding substantially horizontally the series ofarticles disposed end to end, a pressure roll disposed transverselyabove said path, an upper feed path for guiding said web towards the topof said roll around which the web passes to be pressed into engagementwith the series of articles, a device disposed at the end of said upperfeed path adjacent to said roll and including a transverse member fordeflecting said web and thereby imposing resistance to its feedingmotion, said device being capable of pivotal movement about an axistransverse to the plane of that portion of said web approaching saiddevice for the purpose I of varying the alignment of said web as itengages said roll, a control member capable of pivoting said devicewhile the apparatus i operating, and means for heating the exposedsurface of said web while passing'around said roll.

2. Apparatus for applying to the surface of a series of substantiallyflat articles a continuous webof flexible sheet material comprising asubstance which becomes tacky when heated, said apparatus including alower feed path for guiding substantially horizontally the series ofarticles disposed endto end, a pressure roll disposed transversely abovesaid path, an upper feed path for guiding said web towards the top ofsaid roll around which the web passes to be pressed into engagement withthe series of articles, a pivotally mounted device disposed at the endof said upper feed path adjacent to said roll andincluding a pluralityof transverse members which are normally parallel to the axis of saidroll and between which the web passes in zig-zag formation,

lateral guide means for the web on one of said transverse members, and acontrol member operable while the apparatus is working for pivoting thedevice in such a manner as to cause said transverse members, when viewedperPendicularly to that portion of the web between said device and saidroll, to diverge from said axis towards either side of the apparatus atwill, and means of sheet material while it is being unwound onto saidupper feed path, a transverse member associated with said upper feedpath and positioned to deflect the unrolling web onto said upper feedpath, at least one transverse member capable of being pivoted. by acontrol member about an axis transverse to the surface of said upperpath and positioned to deflect the web between said upper path and theupper of said rollers, around which the web is deflected into contactwith the series of articles, and means for heating the exposed surfaceof said web while passing round said upper roll. I

4. Apparatus for series of boards a continuous Web of bitumen applyingto the surface of a of said rolls, and two scrapers engagingrespectively the surfaces of said rolls.

'7. Apparatus for applying continuously to the surface of a series ofboards'a continuous web of flexiblesheet material comprising a.substance which becomes tacky when heated,said continuous web beingformed from a plurality of separate rolls of the material, saidapparatus including a lower feed path for guiding'the' series of boardsplaced end to end longitudinally of the apparatus.

a pressure roll disposed-transversely above said path, an, upper feedpath having a floor and serving to guide the web towards the top of saidj roll around which the web passes into engagement with the series ofboards, means for heating the exposed surface of the web while it ispassin round said roll, means for supporting a shaft carrying a supplyof the flexible sheet material in position for the web to unwindtherefrom onto said upper feed path, said supporting means permittinginstantaneous removal and replacement of said shaft, a web-stretchingdevice disposed between said upper path and said roll for tensioning thetrailing portion of one length of the material while it isbeing joinedto the leading end of a fresh length on said floor, and means forswiveiling said stretching device in order to felt, said apparatuscomprising a roll, means for guiding said series of boards past saidroll, means for guiding said web onto said roll, around which it runsinto engagement with said series of boards, means disposed adjacent tosaid roll for heating the exposed surface of the web while passing roundsaid roll, and means for delivering a'film means for guiding said webonto said roll, around 1 which it runs into engagement with said seriesof boards, meansdisposed adjacent to said roll for heating the exposedsurface of the web while passing round said roll, means for passing aflow of cooling liquid through the interior of said roll, and means fordistributing a film of cooling liquid over the exterior surface of saidroll on th side thereof opposite said heating means to cool theunexposed surface of said web prior to the heating of the exposedsurface thereof.

6. Apparatus for applying to the surface of a series of substantiallyfiat articles a continuous web of flexible sheet material comprising asubstance which becomes tacky when heated, said apparatus including twoco-operating superimposed pressure rolls, means for guiding the seriesof articles between said rolls, means for guiding the web onto one ofsaid rolls, round part of the circumference of which it passes intocontact with the articles as they pass between said rolls,

correct errors in the alignment of the web.

-8. Apparatus for applying acontinuous web of a bitumen felt, toa seriesof boards disposed end to end, said apparatus including a pair of rollsdisposed one above the other, a roller path on the entry side of saidrolls for guiding the series of boards between them, a second path onthe discharge side of said rolls for guiding said web onto the upper oneof said rolls around which it passes into engagement with said boards,transverse members associated with said second path and so positioned asto impart to the web a zi zag formation whereby it is tensioned whileapproaching said rolls, means operable for displacing at least oneofsaid transverse members relatively to the remainder for varying theacuteness of the zlg-zag formation within a range capable of effecting apermanent elongation of the bitumen felt web, heating means disposedadjacent to said roller path and said upper roll for heating said webafter its engagement with said upper roll and immediately before it ispressed by said rolls into engagement with said boards, and means forartificially cooling said upper roll to cool the unexposed surface ofsaid web.

9. Apparatus for applying to the surface of a series of boards acontinuous web of bitumen felt, said apparatus including a lower feedpath for guiding substantially horizontally the series of boardsdisposed end'to end, a pressure roll dis posed transversely above saidpath, an upper feed path including a floor having lateral guide fencesand serving to guide said web substantially horiaontally towards the topof said roll in a direction opposite to the direction of feeding of saidboards so that said web can pass around part of the circumferenceof-said roll into engagement with the leaves said fences, said rolledlength and the one of said transverse members nearer said pressure rollbeing spaced apart by a distance equal to at least three times the widthof said web, and said one transverse member including lateral guides ioraligning said web as it passes onto said roll, and means disposedadlacent to said roll for heating the exposed surface of said web whilepassing around said roll.

10. Apparatus for applying to the surface or a series of boards acontinuous web of bitumen felt, said apparatus including a roll, asubstantially horizontal lower feed path for guiding a series of boardsbeneath said roll, a substantially horizontal upper feed path forguiding said web onto said roll, in a direction opposite to thedirection of feeding of said boards, so that said web will pass part wayround said roll into engagement with said boards, a movable burnerextending parallel to said roll and close above the part of said lowerfeed path approaching said roll, said burner being capable of directinga line of flame towards the exposed surface of the web while passinground said roll, and a control member for moving said "burner while itis operating so as tovary its heating effect on the web.

11. Apparatus for applying to the surface of a series of substantiallyflat articles a, continuous web of flexible sheet material comprising asubst'ance'which becomes tacky when heated, said apparatus comprising aroll, means for guiding said'series of articles past said roll, meansfor guiding said web onto said roll. around which it runs intoengagement with said series of articles, a tube perforated along aportion of its circumference and disposed parallel to said roll near theexposed surface of said web passing round said roll, said tube beingangularly displaceable about its axis, means for supplying a combustiblegaseous mixture to said tube, and a control member operable forangularly displacing said tube and thereby varying the heating eflect,on said exposed surface of the web, 01' flames projected by saidperforatedportion of the tube.

12. Apparatus for applying to the surface of a series of boards acontinuous web of bitumen felt. said apparatus including twoco-operating pressure rolls at least one of which is-hollow, means forguiding the series of boards disposed end to end between said rolls,means for guiding the webonto said one roll, round part of thecircumference of which it passes into contact with the boards as theypass between said rolls, means disposed parallel to said one rolladjacent to the path of entry of said boards between said rolls forheating the exposed surface of the web as it passes round said one roll,means for continuously distributing a film or water over said one roll,a scraper resiliently engaging the surface of said one roll, and meansfor passing a flow of cooling water through said one roll. I

.13. Apparatus for applying a continuous web of a flexible material,comprising a substance which becomes tacky when heated, to a series ofboards disposed end to end, said apparatus including a pair of rollsdisposed one above the other, a substantially horizontal roller path onthe entry side of said rolls for guiding the series of boards end to endbetween them, a substantially horizontal path having a floor on thedischarge side of said rolls and placed at a higher level than saidroller path for guiding said web towards the top of the upper one ofsaid rolls around part of the circumference of which it passes intoengagement with said boards, the length of said floor being at leastthree times the width of the web, heating means disposed adjacent to'said roller path and said upper roll for heating the exposed surface ofthe web immediately before it is pressed by said rolls into engagementwith the boards, means for artificially cooling said upper roll to coolthe unexposed surface of said web, and a continuation of said rollerpath on the discharge side of said rolls extending beyond the beginningof said upper path.

JOSEPH FRANCIS STRABIE.

